The Energies of Set

[Marc]

I want to start this thread to see what others have experienced in working with Set. I've been fascinated with Set for a long time. In fact, Set holds a very special place in my life and work. I would love to hear what others have to say about him. For me, he is the anomaly..not only the dark side of things but the irregular one. Even the various myths we read clearly point to him as the one "outside". 

I resonated with many of the comments made by Levenda in the Dark Lord in his interpretation of Set. I am also familiar with the Temple of Set's literature and find some very interesting concepts there as well. 

Has anyone worked directly with Set or care to share insight?

[Vadge Moore]

Marc- I'm "attached"- if that's the right word- to what I call Ghuedhe-Set. He definitely resonates through me. My last description of my derangement technique in regard to the Ghuedhe Days relates to this connection.

[Marc]

Vadge, I figured that when I just read it. I figured since this is a Typhonian forum, what would it be without a thread dedicated to Set?

[Vadge Moore]

Absolutely.

[Gregory Peters]

I've worked with Set (Suti) for quite some time. During the 90's I had some in depth experiences that tied in with my first working with the Typhonian current. Here is an invocation I "received" during magical workings with Set and the Sirius star system:
newaeontantra.com/2011/11/08/the-heart-of-set/

[Vadge Moore]

Gregory- That's a very beautiful invocation. What is the original language and how did you translate it?

[Marc]

Gregory, I must second that...very inspiring indeed.

[Gregory Peters]

The Heart of Set came through when I was doing some intensive daily work with a specialized form of Liber Pyramidos and Samekh. It ended up being a core piece of my workings for the HGA over the years until a certain plateau was reached. During these workings I received a lot of useful information in my workings with Set in the context of the stellar gnosis. The original language is Egyptian. It and the translation streamed through during the workings along with other material.

If there is interest when I get back in the states I'll send along the personalized version of Samekh as an example along with some of the qabalistic and other data that was earthed.

[Michael Staley]

I'm sure there'll be a lot of interest in that, Gregory.

[Vadge Moore]

Gregory- I figured it was Egyptian. Are you good at translating Egyptian or did you "channel" the meaning of the text?

[Gregory Peters]

I don't have any Egyptian language skills. At the time of the workings I was steeped in Budge, Massey,and Faulkner and the words came through. That one was good enough to fool a fool journals that thought it was original text from the tomb of Seti!

Needless to say, magick works!

[Gregory Peters]

Eh, that should say "fool a few journals". Typing on my phone....

[sandow]

Hi Gregory,

I would be really interested in your personalized version of Liber Samekh, as I intend (at last!) to throw myself in this ritual soon.
I have a question for you (I hope it's not too much off-topic, since it's not really about Grant's work). When you do such a personalized version, do you study the original ritual "theoretically" then go on to practice your own version? Or do you first practice the original ritual "by the book" and modify it slowly with time ? I have some reservations and interrogations with Liber Samekh (for instance: should one use the flawed Godwin transcription, on which Crowley's interpretations are based, or go the Betz translation, more accurate, but which would make Crowley's commentaries and "restorations" obsolete? And BTW, isn't the use of these "barbarous names" an artificial collage on a Golden Dawn structure? would it not be better to simply abandon them and use only kabbalistic and/or enochian names? etc.). BTW, I have the same problem with the Star Ruby. I already practice it and find it quite powerful, but I'm irritated by some aspects of it, that i find terribly sexist. I can admit O Phalle in fact addresses magicians of both genres. But the succession of NOX signs, Isis Rejoicing following Puella and Mulier, let the feeling that the "crowning" of femininity would be maternity, something I find quite reactionary, to put it nicely.
To summary, when and how do you think one can modify and adapt rituals ?

[Gregory Peters]

sandow,

in my own case, I first worked with Samekh "as is" to get an energetic feel for it. What I found was that using it straight out of the book did not do much for me. Then I started to personalize it over time. I think it really depends on the operator and what resonates for them as to how to approach rituals such as Samekh. I studied the Betz material as well, but in the end it came down to intuition and following the creative impulse wherever it led. I went through several recensions, some of them were so far removed from the "original" that they were barely recognizable. Finally things coalesced back towards the original, with the required personalizations to make it unlock for me.

I wrote a bit about the Star Ruby some time back, you might find it of some interest: newaeontantra.com/2011/03/01/the-star-ruby/

As with any discipline, I think the answer for this is somewhat two-fold. When learning a musical instrument, for example, often first one is taught other peoples songs as an introduction. Over time, while playing others songs, you are also learning scales, strumming techniques, how to hold the instrument, etc (I'm thinking of guitar since that is what I play). One these foundations are solid, you branch out into new material of your own. I think ritual training and adaptation works well this way. First you master the foundational practices and get all the tools in place, learning techniques from Crowley's system, or GD or what have you. Once your basic tool kit is in place, you are ready to unlock your creativity and let it flow through, modifying in some place, creating new and unique rituals and techniques in other places.

[Gregory Peters]

Not seeing a way to upload files to the forum, so I'll paste it here. Most of this you will see is just Samekh and the accompanying ritual notes added in, with some personalized bits in the cabalistic interpretation of the "barbarous words".

Liber
Sub figura 489

The Invocation of the Augoeides

A: THE OATH

[Prepare the Adytum with the formulae of Banishing and Consecration.]

Thee I invoke, the Bornless One.
Thee, that didst create the Earth and the Heavens.
Thee, that didst create the Night and the Day.
Thee, that didst create the Darkness and the Light.
Thou art [name of H.G.A.], whom no one hath seen at any time.
Thou art IA-BESZ
Thou art IA—SHAITAN-APOPHRASZ.
Thou hast distinguished between the Just and the Unjust.
Thou didst make the female and the male.
Thou didst produce the seeds and the fruit.
Thou didst form men to love one another, and to hate one another.

Aa:

I am N, Thy chosen One, unto whom Thou didst commit Thy Mysteries, the Ceremonies of the STELLAR GNOSIS.
Thou didst produce the moist and the dry, and that which nourisheth all created Life.
Hear Thou me, for I am the Angel of PTAH-APOPHRASZ-RA: this is Thy True Name, handed down to the Mes Khut Ukha.
B: AIR



Hear me:

AR "O Radiant Solar Breath! O breathing, flowing Sun!"
ThIAV "O Sun IAO! O Lion-Serpent Sun, The Beast that whirleth
forth, thunder-bolt, begetter of Life!"
RhEIBET "Thou Secret Magick Fire! Thou that flowest! Thou that goest!"
A-ThELE-BER-SET "Flowing Fire-Snake! Radiant Sun of Set!”
A "Thou Air! Breath! Spirit! Thou without bound or bond!"
BELAThA "Thou Essence, Air Swift-Streaming, Elasticity!"
ABEU "Thou Wanderer, Father of All!"
EBEN “Thou Stone!”
PhI-ThETA-SOE "Thou Shining Force of Breath! Thou Lion-Serpent Sun! Thou
saviour, save!"
IB "Thou Secret Heart of Truth!”
ThIAV "O Sun IAO! O Lion-Serpent Sun, the Beast that whirlest forth,
a thunder-bolt, begetter of Life!"

[The conception is of Air, glowing, inhabited by a Solar-Phallic Bird, the "Holy Ghost," of a Mercurial nature.]

Hear me, and make all spirits subject unto me, so that every spirit of the firmament and of the ether, upon the earth and under the earth, on dry land and in the water, of whirling air and of rushing fire, and every spell and scourge of God may be obedient unto me.

C: FIRE

[Circle to the South, giving the Sign of the Enterer when passing East. In the south, make the invoking Fire Pentagram with ELOHIM, with the Seal of the Elemental King of the South, OHOOOHATAN. Give the Sign of Philosophus. Invokes Fire in the South; flame red are the rays that burst from his Verendum.]

I invoke Thee, the Terrible and Invisible God, who dwellest in the Void Place of the Spirit:

AR-O-GO-GO-RU-ABRAO "Thou spiritual Sun! Satan, Thou Eye, Thou Lust! Cry aloud!
Cry aloud! Whirl the Wheel, O my Father, O Satan, O
Sun!"
SOTOU "Thou, the Saviour!"
MUDORIO "Silence! Give me Thy Secret!"
PhALARThAO "Give me suck, Thou Phallus, Thou Sun!"
OOO "Satan, thou Eye, thou Lust!"
"Satan, thou Eye, thou Lust!"
"Satan, thou Eye, thou Lust!"
AEPE "Thou self-caused, self-determined, exalted, Most High!"

The Bornless One.

[The conception is of Fire, glowing, inhabited by a Solar-Phallic Lion of a Uranian nature.]

Hear me, and make all spirits subject unto me, so that every spirit of the firmament and of the ether, upon the earth and under the earth, on dry land and in the water, of whirling air and of rushing fire, and every spell and scourge of God may be obedient unto me.

D: WATER

[Circle to the West. Make the invoking Water Pentagram, with EL, with the Seal of the Elemental King of Water, THAHEBYOBEEATAN. Give the Sign of Practicus. Invokes Water in the West, his Wand billowing forth blue radiance.]

Hear me:

RU-ABRA-IAO "Flaming Breath of the Sun, Soul of the Father IAO!”
MARIODOM "Thou the Sea, the Abode! Ocean Nectar of the Sun!"
BABALON-BAL-BIN-ABAVT "Babalon! Thou Woman of Whoredom! Thou, Gate of the
Great God ON! Thou Lady of the Understanding of
the Ways!"
ASAL-ON-AI "Hail Thou, the unstirred! Hail, sister and bride of ON, of the
God that is all and is none, by the Power of Eleven!"
APhEN-IAV "Thou Treasure of IAO!"
I “Thou Secret Seed of Wisdom!”
PhoTETh "Abode of the Light.....................................................................
ABRASAX ".... of the Father, the Sun, of Hadit, of the spell of the Æon of
Horus!"
AEOOU "Our Lady of the Western Gate of Heaven!"
ISChURE "Mighty art Thou!"

Mighty and Bornless One!

[The conception is of Water, glowing, inhabited by a Solar-Phallic Dragon-Serpent, of a Neptunian nature.]

Hear me, and make all spirits subject unto me, so that every spirit of the firmament and of the ether, upon the earth and under the earth, on dry land and in the water, of whirling air and of rushing fire, and every spell and scourge of God may be obedient unto me.

E: EARTH
[Circle to the North. Make the Earth Invoking pentagram with ADONAI, with the Seal of the Elemental King of the North, THAHAAOTAHE. Give the Sign of Neophyte. Invokes Earth; flowers of green flame flash from his weapon]

I invoke Thee:

MA "O Mother! O Truth!"
BARRAIO "Thou Mass!"
IOEL "Hail, Thou that art!"
KOThA "Thou hollow one!"
AThOR-e-BAL-O "Thou Goddess of Beauty and Love, whom Satan, beholding,
desireth!"
ABRAVT "The Fathers, male-female, desire Thee!"

[The conception is of Earth, glowing, inhabited by a Solar-Phallic Hippopotamus of a Venereal nature.]

Hear me, and make all spirits subject unto me, so that every spirit of the firmament and of the ether, upon the earth and under the earth, on dry land and in the water, of whirling air and of rushing fire, and every spell and scourge of God may be obedient unto me.

F: SPIRIT ACTIVE
[Complete the fifth circle to the East, returning to the Tiphareth square at the center, facing East. Make the Invoking Pentagram of Spirit Active, with the Sigil of Spirit and EHEIEH. Trace the Mark of the Beast. Give the Signs of Adeptus Minor. Erect the Pyramid. During these names, the Solar-Phallic shaft will extend vertically upward.]

Hear me:

AVT "Male-Female Spirits!"
ABAVT "Male-Female Sires!"
BAS-AUMGN "Ye that are Gods, going forth, uttering AUMGN."
(The Word that goeth from
(A) Free Breath.
(U) though Willed Breath.
(M) and stopped Breath.
(GN) to continuous Breath.
thus symbolizing the whole course of spiritual life.
A is the formless Zero; U is the six-fold solar sound of
physical life, the triangle of Soul being entwined with
that of Body; M is the silence of "death;" GN is thenasal
sound of generation & knowledge.)
ISAK "Identical Point!"
SA-BA-VT "Nuit! Hadit! Ra-Hoor-Khuit!"
IAV "Hail, IAO!"

[At this last word, imagine that the Head of the Will, where consciousness is fixed, opens its fissure (Sahasrarachakra) and exudes a drop of clear cyrstalline dew, the pearl of the Adept's soul, a virgin offering to the H.G.A. pressed forth from his being by the intensity of his aspiration. Do not withdraw the thus-extended consciousness as before.]

Ff:
[With these words the Adept does not withdraw his will within him as in the previous Sections. He thinks of them as a reflection of Truth on the surface of the dew, where his Soul hides trembling. He takes them to be the first formulation in his consciousness of the nature of His Holy Guardian Angel.]

This is the Lord of the Gods.
This is the Lord of the Universe.
This is He whom the Winds fear.
This is He, Who having made Voice by His commandment is Lord of All Things; King, Ruler and Helper.

Hear me, and make all spirits subject unto me, so that every spirit of the firmament and of the ether, upon the earth and under the earth, on dry land and in the water, of whirling air and of rushing fire and every spell and scourge of God may be obedient unto me.

G: SPIRIT PASSIVE
[Make the Invoking Pentagram of Spirit Passive, with the Sigil of Spirit and AGLA. Give the Signs of Adeptus Minor. Concentrate the human consciousness within the twin foundation of the Will-eidolon, and endeavor to send it to sleep. Rise in the Pyramid. In the event of success of the operation, certain recognizable phenomena will occur, as the H.G.A. “seizes the shaft” and brings the operation to its “climax.”]

Hear me:

IEOU "Indwelling Sun of Myself!"
PUR "Thou Fire! Thou Sixfold Star initiator compassed about with
Force and Fire!"
IOU "Indwelling Soul of Myself!"
PUR "Thou Fire! Thou Sixfold Star initiator compassed about with
Force and Fire!"
IAVTh "Sun-lion Serpent, hail! All Hail, thou Great Wild Beast, thou
IAO!"
IAEO "Breaths of my soul, breaths of mine Angel."
IOOU "Lust of my soul, lust of mine Angel!"
ABRASAX (Vide Supra.)
SABRIAM "Ho for the Sangraal! Ho for the Cup of Babalon! Ho for mine
Angel pouring Himself forth within my Soul!"
OO "The Eye! Satan, my Lord! The Lust of the goat!"
VV "Mine Angel! Mine initiator! Thou one with me — the Sixfold
Star!"
AD-ON-A-I "My Lord! My secret beyond self, Hadit, All Father! Hail,ON,
thou Sun, thou Life of Man, thou Fivefold Sword of
Flame! Thou Goat exalted upon Earth in Lust, thou
Snake extended upon Earth in Life! Spirit most holy!
Seed most Wise! Innocent Babe. Inviolate Maid!
Begetter of Being! Soul of all Souls! World of all
Worlds, Come forth, most hidden Light!"
EDE "Devour thou me!"
EDU "Thou dost devour Me!"
ANGELOS TON ThEON "Thou Angel of the Gods!"
ANLALA "Arise thou in Me, free flowing, Thou who are Naught, who
art Naught, and utter thy Word!"
LAI "I also am Naught! I Will Thee! I behold Thee! My
nothingness!"
GAIA "Leap up, thou Earth!"
AEPE "Thou Exalted One! It (i.e. the spiritual 'semen,' the Adept's
secret ideas, drawn irresistably from their 'Hell' by the
love of his angel) leaps up; it leaps forth!"
DIATHANNA THORON "Lo! the out-splashing of the seeds of Immortality!"

Gg: THE ATTAINMENT
[The result of the climax should be that the astral image is wholly withdrawn and the Angel is constrained to indwell the Adept’s heart.]

ant hr.k sr r nhh
ant hr.k sr r shtch hr.ib wkh
m khn b(a).(a) s(a)uty khybyt.(a)
wn wt n b(a).(a) n khybyt.(a) m(aa).f Ntr (aa)
m(aa).(a) b(a).(a) khybyt.(a) Ntri ib n S(e)t.hh
kkw smw i.n khr.k khw.k w ib.kw(a)
sm.(a) ib.(a) n wnnwt.f nbtt krh
b(a).(a) pw Ntr b(a).(a) pw hh
nk s S(e)t s nsrt
nk ib n S(e)t.hn
nk S(e)t.hh (aa)sh ms.khwt wkh
s b.k sb (a)nkh
ib n S(e)t.hh

Homage to Thee, Prince of Eternity!
Homage to Thee, Prince of Light and Darkness!
Let my soul not be shut in, let my shadow not be fettered;
Let the Way be Open for my soul and for my shadow,
may it see the Great God --
May I look upon my soul and my shadow,
the Divine Heart of the Everlasting Fire of Set!
Within night and darkness, I have come to thee --
I am glorious, I am pure.
May I follow my heart at it's season of Fire and Night.
My soul is God, my soul is Eternity.
I am the Son of Set, Son of Fire!
I am the Heart of Eternal Set!
I am the Everlasting Fire of Set,
Child of the Radiant Darkness!


I am He! The Bornless Spirit! Having sight in the feet, strong and the Immortal Fire!
I am He! The Truth!
I am He! Who hate that evil should be wrought in the world!
I am He, that lighteneth and thundereth!
I am He, from whom is the shower of the life of earth!
I am He, whose mouth ever flameth!
I am He, the begetter and manifester unto the Light!
I am He, the grace of the world!
"The Heart Girt with a Serpent" is my name!

H: THE CHARGE TO THE SPIRIT

Come thou forth, and be with me, and make all spirits subject unto me, so that every spirit of the firmament and of the ether, upon the earth and under the earth, on dry land and in the water, of whirling air or of rushing fire, and every spell and scourge of God the Vast One may be obedient unto me!

J: THE COMPLETION

IAO SABAO

Such are the Words!

[sandow]

Thanks Gregory!

Curiously, the text of your ritual is constantly scrolling from right to left in my browser (i could read it by copying and pasting it on notepad). Strange. But those things occur with such eldritch tomes :-).

Just saw you are publishing a book? it seems extremely interesting and will preorder it! Do you know the releasing date ?

[Nalyd Khezr Bey]

Oct 28, 2013 16:29:38 GMT sandow said:

Curiously, the text of your ritual is constantly scrolling from right to left in my browser

For me too. I just thought it was some quirk on my end so didn't say anything when I first saw this posted.

[Gregory Peters]

Just noticed that as well. No idea what's going on there!

The book is slated for summer 2014 release, I think July. I owe a lot of inspiration to Grant's legacy and Also to Michael, who has been an inspiration for years (now is the time to go back and read his articles Going Beyond and The Heart of Thelema - absutely brilliant work)

[sandow]

I also just ordered Sam Webster's Tantric Thelema. I would be curious to compare your two lines of work. I suspect that Sam Webster is more Ra-hoor-khuit/Tibetan Buddhist oriented and that you are more Set/Goddess/Hinduism oriented, am I wrong ?
I suppose I should also order Mogg Morgan "tankhem" to obtain a rather complete panorama of the tantra/thelema/setianism fusion...

 

[maybank]

@gregory: The 'Heart of Set' transmission - what an amazing account of your reception of this lucid invocation, super stuff!

[movebywillalone]

Can anyone explain the anubis set connection at times I see them as separate deities and sometimes It has been hinted at that they are cognate deities

[kevin]

Oct 22, 2013 2:14:06 GMT Vadge Moore said:

Marc- I'm "attached"- if that's the right word- to what I call Ghuedhe-Set. He definitely resonates through me. My last description of my derangement technique in regard to the Ghuedhe Days relates to this connection.

Hi Vadge,

would you explain what you mean by Ghuedhe Set, I have worked with Set extensively and have attended a few Voudon services so I have had a little experiance with Ghuedhe. 

Cheers

Kevin

[Vadge Moore]

Sure Kevin. Ghuedhe is simply the Voudon Gnostic version of Set, or the Haitian version of the Egyptian god Set. Te Velde's description of Set in his book Seth: God of Confusion illustrates this abundantly especially if compared to Maya Deren's book on Haitian Voodoo The Divine Horsemen, and her description of Ghuedhe or Ghede.

Ghuedhe-Set are two forms of the same energy.

[kevin]

Thank you for answering, I see elements of Set in Carrefour as well.

[Frater Shaddad]

Jan 9, 2014 16:46:53 GMT movebywillalone said:

Can anyone explain the anubis set connection at times I see them as separate deities and sometimes It has been hinted at that they are cognate deities

movebywillalone,

Grant mentions this connection in AC&THG pg. 207 in the glossary entry for Pluto:

".....The god-form of Pluto is the dog, which identifies him with the god (dog in reverse) of the underworld.  Cf. AL II, 19; also Set-An(ubis), the dog or jackal-headed guide of souls in Amenta."

There are numerous other references to Set-Anubis and/or perhaps Sut-Anubis throughout the Trilogies, I'm sure.  You can find these yourself. In the meantime, the main points of connection for you to remember are the associations of both Set and Anubis with the Underworld/Amenta, blackness, and their dog/jackal-headed god-forms, totems, etc.